Have Mercy, My Dear
by Gangsta Aragorn 69
Summary: Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange's daughter, Mercy, attends Hogwarts with Harry Potter. Despite everything, they become friends and even fall in love. But, Bellatrix has hidden an awful secret concerning Mercy during her imprisonment in Azkaban... Rated M for later chapters. RE WRITE IN PROGRESS. Please be patient.
1. Intro

_Introductions are in order:_

Mercy Isabella Lestrange was born on May 29, 1980 to notorious Death Eaters, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. She grew up only knowing her parents from photographs, as they were sent to Azkaban prison in 1981 for the torture of two aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom. However, Mercy was lucky she had other family, and wasn't made to live in an orphanage.

After her parents were imprisoned, she was sent to live with her Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius, and their infant son, Draco. The Malfoys took her in without question or hesitation. Afterall, she was one of their own. Mercy and Draco practically became brother and sister. They had no other siblings around, and were less than a week apart in age. So naturally, they enjoyed a very close relationship. Before Lucius and Narcissa knew it, the year was 1991. And it was time for Mercy and Draco to attend Hogwarts...


	2. A Twist Of Fate

Mercy was a thin, petite girl. She had long, curly black hair, chocolate brown, bedroom eyes hidden behind thick rimmed glasses, and smooth, pale skin. Some people, including her Aunt Narcissa, said she was a picture of Bellatrix at that age. She was just lovely.

" Ready to go to Diagon Alley? " asked Mercy's cousin, Draco.

" Sure am, cuz. " Mercy replied.

Today was their first day of school, so they had to shop for a few things.

" Ready, kids? " asked Narcissa, who came into the living room, followed by Lucius.

They both shook their heads in response.

The family of four arrived in loud, bustling Diagon Alley by means of the floo network.

" Lucius and I will get your books. Why don't you two go try on some robes? " suggested Narcissa.

" Yes, mother. " droned Draco.

Mercy and Draco made their way down the street and into Madame Malkin's. As they were browsing for robes, they talked about this and that. But, they turned their heads when another boy walked in, with a huge man next to him.

" Go on an' git yer robes, Harry. " bellowed the man.

" Damn, that guy's huge. What is he, a troll? " whispered Draco.

Mercy cracked a smile and desperately tried not to laugh.

" So anyways, back to what I was saying. Slytherin is the only good house at Hogwarts. But I'm sure we'll be in Slytherin without a problem. " Draco said.

" Yeah, we have nothing to worry about. " agreed Mercy.

" I'd leave if I was sorted into Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, wouldn't you? " Draco asked his cousin, who replied by laughing loudly.

Harry listened to this conversation while he tried on a few different styles of robes. So, they were going to Hogwarts, too. But what did they mean by those names... Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor? Harry looked over at the pair, who were still rambling on about making Slytherin. Even though the boy was blonde, and the girl had black hair, they bore a slight resemblance to each other. He assumed they were related somehow. He mainly focused on the girl, who he thought was very pretty. He'd even call her beautiful. Or stunning was more of the right word for her.

" So, you two are going to Hogwarts? " Harry said, to open up a conversation with them.

He wanted to know who this girl was.

" That's right. " replied Mercy, turning to face Harry.

She took a good look at him. He had messy, black hair and emerald green eyes. He wore round glasses. With a small crack on one lens. And he looked eerily familiar, but she couldn't place how or why. She was intrigued.

" Me too. Uh.. pardon my asking but, what's a Hufflepuff? " Harry inquired.

" Well, that's one of the houses at Hogwarts. You see, there's four of them. You get sorted into one of them as a first year, and while your at Hogwarts, your house is like your family. But trust me, you DO NOT want to be a Hufflepuff. " Draco explained.

" Oh, I see. Well, what _do _I want to be, then? " Harry asked.

" Hope to god that you make Slytherin. " replied Draco.

" Right. " said Harry, not sure if he wanted to take this kid's word for it.

" I'm Draco Malfoy, by the way. And this is my cousin, Mercy Lestrange. " Draco stated.

Cousins. He knew they were related.

" Nice to meet you. I'm Harry. Harry Potter. " Harry responded.

Mercy and Draco exchanged glances.

" You're joking. " suggested Mercy.

" Nope. " Harry said, simply.

" Can we see your scar? " asked Draco, eagerly.

" Um... sure. I guess. " Harry replied.

He pushed back some of his hair away from his forehead. And sure enough, there was the lightning bolt scar. Plain as day. Draco and Mercy just stared in awe for a few seconds.

" 'Ey come on Harry. We 'aven't got all day, now. " urged Hagrid from the other side of the store.

" Sorry guys, but I've got to go. See you at school. " said Harry, as he darted off with a set of robes.

" Mum and dad aren't going to believe this. " Draco said.

" They sure aren't. Who knew we'd actually meet him. It makes me feel so... strange. Afterall, my parents worshiped you-know-who. And that boy stopped him when he was just a baby? He looks like just an ordinary kid to me. What's so special about him? " whispered Mercy.

" I haven't the faintest clue. The whole thing is just... bizarre. " replied Draco.


	3. The Train

Draco and Mercy walked through the train station locking arms, followed by Lucius and Narcissa who pushed their trolleys. They all stopped in front of the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. Mercy took a deep breath.

" I'll go first. " she said, taking her trolley from Lucius.

She said her goodbyes. Then, she backed up, and went through the wall at a running pace. She opened her eyes to see this place actually existed. And sure enough, there was the Hogwarts express, parked there on the tracks. Draco came though the wall a few seconds later.

" We made it in one piece. " he joked.

The two ran onto the train, and began looking around for somwhere to sit. They claimed an empty compartment. They talked, and for a while nobody bothered them. But soon, they ran into the boy who lived once again.

" Could I sit with you guys? You're the only two I know. " he admitted.

Draco looked over at Mercy for an answer.

" Sure. " she replied.

Harry sat down next to her. Rather close. Draco raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Just as Harry was about to speak, an awkward, red-haired boy wearing a sweater stumbled in.

" Do you guys mind? Everywhere else is full. " he said, with a mouthful of a sandwich that he was holding in his hand.

He had an ugly rat in his other hand. Draco and Mercy didn't say anything. But Harry gave a nod, indicating it was allright with him. The boy sat next to Draco, who moved over closer to the window in response. Mercy giggled.

" I'm.. " the boy began, but Draco cut him off.

" No need to introduce yourself. Red hair. Hand me down sweater. You must be a Weasley. " he spat.

Harry could hardly believe his ears. How could this Draco kid be so mean to somebody that he didn't even know? However, the kid took no offense to Draco's comments.

" That's right. I'm Ronald Weasley. Call me Ron. " he said, with another bite of food in his mouth.

Mercy looked at him with disgust.

" Hi, Ron. I'm Harry Potter. " said Harry, introducing himself.

Ron's jaw dropped, showing a mouthful of partially chewed food.

" Are you really? " he asked.

Harry nodded.

" Do you really have the.. the scar? " Ron asked, in a whisper.

" Yeah. " said Harry with a smile.

He pushed his hair back once more to reveal his scar.

" Wicked. " was Ron's response.

" I'm Draco Malfoy. " said Draco, trying to put the spotlight back on himself.

" Oh, yeah. My dad works with yours. Quite a funny name you've got. " Ron stated.

Harry snickered, and Draco boiled with anger.

" Quite a funny face you've got. " he fired back.

Now Mercy laughed at Draco's joke. Ron just gave Draco a dirty look. He couldn't think of any come backs. He changed the subject.

" Who's this pretty lady friend of yours? " he asked.

" My name is Mercy Lestrange if you must know. " Mercy replied.

Ron's jaw dropped for the second time in a few minutes.

" Lestrange? " he asked.

But before anyone could reply to him, someone else stepped into the compartment uninvited. A girl with a mop of bushy, brown hair and large front teeth.

" Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one. " she asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

" Pathetic, isn't he? " Ron asked, referring to Scabbers.

" Just a little. " Harry replied.

" My brothers taught me a spell to turn him yellow. Wanna see? " Ron asked.

Harry nodded his head. Mercy and Draco shrugged. Ron took out his wand and cleared his throat.

" Oh, you're doing magic? " said the girl who'd asked about the toad.

She hadn't left yet.

" Yeah. " replied Ron.

The girl took a seat next to Ron.

" Let's see, then. " she said.

" Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow. " said Ron, with a flick of his wand.

It did nothing. Ron looked a little embarrassed.

" Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? " she asked.

Ron was silent.

" Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself. But they've all worked for me. For example. " the girl said, taking out her wand and pointing it at Harry's face.

His emerald eyes widened.

" Oculus reparo. " she said, confidently.

The crack in Harry's glasses repaired itself.

" Wow, thanks. " he said, taking them off to examine them.

" Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter! " she exclaimed when she got a good look at his scar.

Harry shook his head to confirm it.

" I'm Hermione Granger. And, you are? " she asked, turning to Ron.

" Ron Weasley. " he said.

" Pleasure. And you two? " asked Hermione, referring to the pure-blood cousins who's names she didn't know yet.

" Draco Malfoy. " said Draco, not even looking her in the eye.

He was just sure this Granger girl was a mud-blood.

" Mercy Lestrange. " said Mercy, also refusing to look at Hermione.

She was thinking the same thing as her cousin, no doubt. Hermione gasped.

" Lestrange? You mean you're related to those... Death Eaters? " she asked in a whisper.

" Rodolphus and Bellatrix are my parents. " Mercy stated, as though it should be obvious.

" What's a... Death Eater? " asked Harry.

Everyone looked at him as though he were slow.

" Surely you can't be serious. " Draco replied.

" Dude, I didn't even know there was a such thing as wizards until a half giant found me with my muggle aunt and uncle, told me I was a wizard and turned my cousin into a pig!. " Harry said, in his defense.

" They're supporters of... you-know-who. " Hermione told him.

" Your parents s-served him? " Harry stammered.

He felt uneasy sitting so close to someone who's parents supported the man who killed his.

" That's correct. " Mercy responded, sounding proud as opposed to ashamed.


	4. Sorting Ceremony

After quite an awkward train ride, they arrived at Hogwarts. It was late at night. And the magnificent castle glowed in the distance. Tiny lights illuminated the black waters. Rain fell from the veiled stars and an eerie wind blew.

The children stepped off the train to be greeted by the huge man that was with Harry in Madame Malkin's. His name was Hagrid, and he was the grounds keeper at Hogwarts. He was holding a lanturn, and encouraging the intimidated first years to step out and get on one of the small boats that would lead them to the school.

" Come along first years, don't be shy, now. " he bellowed.

" Grab yerself one o' them boats, an' you'll be on yer way to the school. " he told them.

" Grab a boat together? " suggested Harry, looking over at Hermione, Ron, Mercy, and Draco.

Nobody agreed, but nobody objected. The five of them silently boarded a boat, which took off on its own toward the school. Harry was sitting next to Mercy again. He found himself unexplainably drawn to this mysterious beauty. And Mercy never objected to Harry being close to her. Strangely enough, she was beginning to enjoy his presence. She felt oddly attracted to him. Oddly connected. She hoped he'd make Slytherin along with her and Draco. However, she didn't like Ron or Hermione. She wanted those two to be in a different house so she wouldn't have to deal with them as much.

In a few minutes, they came to the shore and stepped out onto the school grounds. They were then told to board carriages that pulled themselves. Harry got in first, and he helped Mercy up, taking her hands. She smiled and sat next to him. The others took a seat, while Harry and Mercy just stared into each other's eyes. But then they turned away when they thought they were looking too long. They did this the entire ride to the castle, causing Ron, Draco, and Hermione to be awkwardly silent.

When they came into the school, everyone was stopped in front of a big staircase by an older teacher with graying hair and black and green robes.

" Good evening. And welcome to Hogwarts. May I have everyone's attention? " the teacher called, trying to be heard over the loud group of children.

After a few moments, they quieted down.

" I am Professor McGonagall, transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor house. Now, we're about to have something called a sorting ceremony, where you'll be put into your houses. There are four. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. And while you're here, your house will quickly become your family. If you will, please follow me up the stairs and through the doors. " she said to the large group.

" Hey, Potter let me give you some advice. Hogwarts has become.. shall I say.. polluted. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there. " Draco offered, holding out his hand politely.

Harry backed up to stand near Ron and Hermione.

" I think I can figure out the wrong sort for myself, thanks. " he replied. ]

Draco sneered.

" Come on, Mercy. " he said, as he went up the stairs.

Harry and Mercy exchanged glances once again before she followed her cousin to the Great Hall.

" Before we begin, Headmaster Dumbledore would like say a few words. " McGonagall announced.

The old man stood up, and cleared his throat before speaking.

" Welcome, everyone. I just have a few announcements. First off, the dark forest is strictly forbidden. To all students. And our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds, to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death. " he told them.

The room became awkwardly silent.

The first years were all made to stand in a line.

" Now, when I call your name, come up here and I will place the sorting hat on your head. " said McGonagall.

She unrolled a long list and called out " Bones, Susan. "

The timid girl made Hufflepuff quite quickly.

" Granger, Hermione. " she called next.

Hermione took a deep breath and slowly slumped down onto the stool. After thinking a few seconds the hat put her in Gryffindor.

" Malfoy, Draco. " was the next name called.

Draco sat down with confidence.

The hat barely touched his head before calling out " Slytherin! "

Mercy clapped loudly for her cousin. Now she just hoped more than anything that she'd be sitting at the Slytherin table with him.

" There wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. " Ron whispered to Harry.

" Bulstrode, Milicent. "

The rather large, intimidating girl was sorted into Slytherin.

" Lestrange, Mercy. " McGonagall called, sounding uncomfortable even saying her name.

When Mercy sat down, all eyes were on her. And there were whispers and murmurs from all corners of the room. They knew who she was. Despite the negitivity, Mercy kept her haughty, pure-blood front of nobility, and sat down. The hat was placed on her head.

" Hmm. A Lestrange... we haven't had one of you here in many years. But I know just how to handle this. Slytherin! " the hat called out.

Nobody was surprised at that. Mercy proudly took a seat next to Draco, who wore a beaming smile.

Harry was disappointed. He'd hoped to be in the same house as Mercy. But he sure as hell didn't want to be sorted into Slytherin.

" Potter, Harry. " McGonagall called next.

Harry nervously shuffled to the front of the room, and the hat was placed on his head. There were murmurs and stares once more. Obviously everyone knew who he was as well.

" Hmm, difficult. Very difficult. " it said.

It deliberated for a few minutes, while Harry pleaded " Not Slytherin. Not Slytherin. " in a whisper.

" Not Slytherin, eh? " the hat asked him.

Harry didn't back down. He kept repeating that he didn't want to be in Slytherin.

" If you're sure... better be... Gryffindor! " it announced.

Harry let out a huge sigh of relief and sat down next to Hermione.

The next person called was Ron. He made Gryffindor as well, which nobody found surprising. The Weasleys had been in Gryffindor for centuries. Probably as long as the Blacks and the Malfoys had been in Slytherin. Ron sat next to his new friends, and happily stuffed his face when Headmaster Dumbledore made the announcement for the feast to begin.

" That Lestrange girl. She sure is an odd one, ain't she? " Ron asked.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

" I don't think she's odd. Maybe mysterious. " Harry said in her defense.

He looked over at the Slyhterin table to see that Mercy's eyes were on him.


	5. First Day

The next day, Harry found himself wandering about the empty corridors. He was late for his first day of class. And he didn't know where to go. There was nobody around to ask.

" Harry, wait up! " someone called.

It was clearly a girl's voice. Harry whipped his head around and was happy to see Mercy.

" Hi, Mercy. You lost, too? " he asked with a smirk.

" Yeah. This place is huge. I can't help it. " she replied.

" Want to be lost together? " Harry asked.

This time he put on his charming smile. Mercy batted her long eyelashes.

" Of course. " she replied, in a tone that could have been called saucy.

They wandered about the castle for quite a while. Neither one was keeping track of how long. And at this point, they'd given up on trying to find their class.

" They've been in prison since I was a baby. " Mercy said, answering a question about her parents.

" We're in the same boat. I never knew my parents either. Well, obviously you know that. " Harry replied.

" I mean I had my aunt and uncle, but I always feel... empty. Not knowing the people who are responsible for me being in this world. " she admitted.

" I know exactly what you mean. " he told her.

They then mutually decided to sit down in the corridor they were in, against the wall.

There was a moment of silence before Harry asked " Can we be friends? "

Mercy turned her head and smiled at him.

" I'd like that. " she replied.

" You and me, we're two of a kind. We understand each other. And I for some reason, it's like I've known you forever. I know it sounds really wierd, and I can't explain why exactly. " Harry admitted.

" I felt the same way. " Mercy said with a smile.

Harry smiled back, and the two of them were silent for a little bit.

" I think it's about time for our next class. Want to walk with me? You have potions too, right? " he asked.

" Yeah, I have potions. And I'd love to walk with you. " Mercy replied.

The pair walked all the way down the stairs to the dungeons. They came into a dark classroom, lit only by candles. Mercy sat in the front, and Harry sat next to her. They were the first ones there.

" Guess we're a little early. " Harry whispered.

That's when the door swung open, and a stern looking man wearing all black robes made his way to the front of the room.

Severus Snape glanced briefly at the two students in front of him. And he had to do a double take. The boy was, without a doubt, James and Lily Potter's son. He looked just like his father except his eyes, which were the same as Lily's. Painful memories resurfaced. Of his days in Hogwarts. He remembered James. He and his friends had bullied him mercilessly. Snape thought of him as nothing more than an arrogant prick. He remembered Lily. His one true love. But, she'd chosen James over him. And this child was proof of that. Snape took great disappointment in the fact that he'd have to teach this mini James for the next seven years.

His eyes then shifted to the girl sitting to the right of the Potter kid. He already knew her. ' She's becoming the spitting image of her mother. ' he thought. Snape remembered Bellatrix as well. Back in his Death Eater days. She sure wasn't his favorite person in the world, but they had some good times. That mostly ended with them waking up in his house, naked and hung over. Then they'd have a big fight, but do the same thing again a couple nights later. Snape still had quite vivid memories about Bellatrix. She was a real bitch, but she sure knew how to show a man a good time. Hell, he had serious doubts that Mercy was even Rodolphus's kid. ' She could be the Dark Lord's. Or even mine for all Rodolphus knows. ' Snape thought to himself, trying not to laugh.

Snape cleared his throat, realizing he'd been staring in silence for far too long.

" Harry Potter, I presume. " he said, cooly.

Harry and Mercy exchanged awkward glances, then Harry shook his head to tellthe teacher he was right.

" Mercy, nice to see you. It's been a while. " Snape said.

" That it has, Professor Snape. Nice to see you too. " Mercy replied, with a smile.

A smile just like that of her beautiful mother's.

" You know that guy? " Harry whispered.

" Family friend. " Mercy responded.

Harry had already been suspicious of this Snape character after what Percy Weasley said about him the other day. And after his scar burned when he looked over at him. That was bizarre. And if he knew Mercy's parents well enough for her to refer to him as a ' family friend ', surely something wasn't right about him. He seemed very shady. Harry would be sure to keep an eye on him.

Soon enough, the other students started pouring in. They were silent when they took their seats. Snape clearly frightened them.

" I am Professor Snape. There will be no wand waving or silly incantations in my classroom. For those you that appreciate the art that is potion-making, I can teach you how to bewitch the mind. Ensnare the senses... brew glory, bottle fame. Even put a stopper in death. " he told them all, in serious tone.

" Sorry I'm late, Professor Snape. " said Draco, who came waltzing in.

" Quite allright, Draco. Have a seat. " Snape replied.

He favored the Slytherins. They often got away with things that children from other houses could never dream of doing in Snape's class. Draco came up front and sat on the other side of Mercy, giving Harry a dirty look as he did so.


	6. Stars And A Three Headed Dog

After their horrible first lesson in potions, mail arrived. Harry borrowed Ron's Daily Prophet.

" A vault at Gringotts was broken into last night! The same one Hagrid took something out of that day! " he exclaimed.

The trio decided to go take a walk before their next class.

" This day just keeps getting weirder, guys. " Harry said to his friends on their way back to the castle.

" What do you suppose Hagrid took out of that vault? " Hermione asked.

" I have no idea. But I feel like it's going to give us some problems. " he replied.

The rest of the first day of classes proved to be quite interesting. During their first flying lesson, Neville Longbottom had broken his wrist. Draco decided it was a good idea to take Neville's remeberall.

" If the retard boy had given this a squeez, he might have remembered to fall on his fat ass. " he said.

Of course Mercy and the other Slytherins laughed. Draco took off on his broom, and against Harry's better judgement, he followed him.

The boys proved to be excellent flyers. Harry even made the Gryffindor quidditch team after Professor McGonagall saw his flying skills from out the window, a feat unheard of for first years. As the seeker, no less. According to McGonagall, he was the youngest quidditch player of the century.

Harry was on his way back to his dormitory, only to hear his name being called. He turned around to see Mercy.

" Harry, you sure were great out there. The Gryffindor team's lucky to have you. Slytherin better watch out. " she told him.

Harry smiled nervously and began to blush.

" U-uh... thanks. But I don't think I'm as good as everyone says. " he admitted.

" I saw you fly. You're better than some of the seventh years. " Mercy insisted.

Harry blushed even more.

" Um, listen.. do you want to take a walk with me? " she asked, looking like she'd be terribly disappointed if he didn't.

" Y-yeah...s-sounds great. " Harry stuttered.

The two of them walked for what felt like hours. After they'd made it around basically the whole castle, they went outside. Both of them knew it was against the rules, but they seemed not to care.

Harry and Mercy were laying in the grass just at the edge of the forest, looking up at the stars. It was a beautiful, clear night. And the moon was full. Harry turned over to lay in his side, and looked over at Mercy. She was just staring at the moon, and a single tear had cascaded down her cheek.

" Hey. You quit that crying. " he said, brushing the tear drop away with his thumb.

Mercy took a deep breath.

" Harry? " she questioned.

" Hm? " he replied.

" Do you think my parents can see the moon? " she asked.

" I'm not sure. " he answered truthfully.

Harry didn't know if they had windows in Azkaban.

" They must have windows there.. don't you think? " Mercy asked, even though she knew Harry wouldn't know the answer to that.

" Maybe they do. " he muttered, taking hold of her hand to comfort her.

" See, I like to picture my parents, looking through those barred windows. And seeing the moon. At the same time I'm looking at it. And for a split second, it's like we're together. " Mercy explained, letting a few more tears fall down her cheeks.

" Maybe they are looking at it. And even if they're not, I'm sure they're thinking about you. " Harry said, with a sincere smile.

" I hope they are. " she said, softly.

Harry began to cry as well.

" I wonder where my parents are... You know, the one thing in life I've ever wanted was to be with them. I dream about it. Then I wake up, and remember it wasn't real. Do you have dreams like that, Mercy? Where you're with your parents? " Harry questioned.

" I've never had dreams, Harry. Only nightmares. The same ones, over and over. " she whispered.

" Sometimes I have nightmares. " he told her.

" You know Harry, my aunt told me... the people we love don't really leave. She says when somebody you're close to dies, they become a star. And they watch over you. " Mercy said, softly.

" Do you think my parents are up there? " he asked, pointing to the sky.

Mercy nodded her head.

" Watching over you. " she whispered.

* * *

><p>Later on, Harry and Mercy were sitting around in his room. Ron still wasn't there, and it was long past the time students were allowed to be out of their beds.<p>

" Maybe we should go look for Ron. " Harry suggested.

" Yeah, maybe. No offense, he's kind of thick so maybe he got lost. " Mercy suggested, with a wicked smirk.

Harry laughed in agreement.

" Come on, let's go. " he said, tugging at her sleeve to get her to follow him.

After some looking around in the school, there was still no sign of Ron.

" Where could that idiot have gotten to? " Mercy asked, clearly not happy.

Then, they heard footsteps. It sounded like more than one person.

" Someone's coming! " Harry whispered, sharply.

He and Mercy put their backs to the wall. Slowly, Harry stuck his head out to look around the corner. It was dark, so he couldn't see anyone. But he could still hear them coming.

When there was a sudden flash of light in the darkness, Harry and Mercy screamed and held onto each other. Whoever else it was screamed as well. Quickly, they realized they'd only ran into Ron and Hermione.

" Bloody hell! " exclaimed Ron.

" You scared the shit out of me! " spat Mercy.

" That seriously took ten years off my life. " whined Harry, panting.

Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave them the ' I'm not amused look. '

" What are you two doing out of bed at this hour? " she asked.

" I might ask you the same, question. Nosy, buck-toothed bitch. " replied Mercy, with a scowl.

That sure silenced Hermione.

" Allright, no need to get nasty! We were up in my room, and we started to realize how late it was. And Ron wasn't back yet. So we decided to go look for him. " Harry explained.

Ron snickered.

" What were you two doing up there, snogging? " he asked.

Harry and Mercy looked at each other awkwardly. And Harry blushed once again.

" Forget what they were doing, let's just go back to our rooms before we get caught. " Hermione snapped.

" Right... okay. " Harry agreed.

They all fled up the stairs, but then they panicked when the staircase started to move.

" What's happening? " asked Ron.

" The staircases change, remember? " Hermione informed him.

" Let's get going. " said Harry, making a run for it when the staircase was still.

" Yeah, before it moves again. " complained Ron.

" Um... Where exactly are we? " asked Mercy.

Nobody had an answer to that.

" Well, I'm gonna go this way. " Ron stated, disappearing into a random corridor.

" We'd better follow him. " said Harry, signalling for Mercy and Hermione to come.

They all walked together, in very close proximity. Each one of them got a bad feeling about this corridor. It smelled musty. It was dark and covered in cobwebs. And looked like people hadn't been in it for ages.

" Does anybody get the feeling... we shouldn't be here? " Ron asked.

" We're not supposed to be here. " Harry said.

" This is the third floor. It's _forbidden._ " Hermione hissed.

The four of them gasped when a torch lit itself.

" Let's go. " said Harry.

Then, they heard something move, only to turn around and see that it was just Mrs. Norris.

" Filch's cat. " said Hermione.

" Run. " Harry ordered, leading the group into another dark corridor.

Filch came out of the darkness to stand by his cat. He knew somebody was here.

They all ran down several unfamiliar hallways, torches lighting as they went. A large door came into their view.

" Let's hide though that door. " Harry called.

Ron tried to open it, but it didn't budge.

" Locked. " he pouted.

" Oh move over. " said Hermione, pushing him out of the way.

" Alohomora. " she said, and the door opened with a flick of her wand.

They shuffled in, and Harry shut the door behind them.

" I think Filch is gone. " stated Hermione, putting her ear to the door.

" Yeah, he won't find us. This door is locked. " Ron agreed.

" It _was _locked. " Hermione corrected.

" And for good reason. " Harry said, referring to the huge three headed dog behind them.

They all turned around, and screamed at the top of their lungs.

It began barking and growling. They ran out the door, as fast as their legs would go, just barely managing to get it shut and locked. Mercy hurried back to the Slytherin common room, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed to the Gryffindor common room.

" What the bloody hell was that! I can't believe they'd keep that in a school! " Ron exclaimed, as everyone tried to catch their breath.

" Did you see what it was standing on? " Hermione asked.

" I wasn't looking at its feet! I was too busy looking at its heads! It had three in case you didn't notice! " Ron screamed.

" It was standing on a trap door. Meaning, it wasn't there by accident. It was guarding something. " Hermione pointed out.

" Now, I'm going ot bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed. Or worse, expelled. " Hermione stated, slamming the door to her room shut.

" She _needs_ to sort out her priorities. " Ron said, simply.

Harry nodded in agreement.


	7. The Troll

The year was going by quite quckly. Today was already Halloween. In charms class, the first person to levitate anything was the Granger girl. But soon after, Mercy and Harry got the hang of it. Ron however, proved to be not so good at charms. He was violently flicking his wand, babbling something that wasn't even the right spell. Hermione took hold of his wrist.

" Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. " she warned him.

Ron gave her a dirty look.

" Besides, you're saying it wrong. " Hermione added.

Then she corrected him by comparing the proper pronounciation to the way he had said it. Mercy really didn't like that Granger girl. She was so stuck up. And a real know-it-all. She didn't much care for Weasley either. She found him to be dumb and annoying. However, she found herself liking Harry more and more by the minute. He was charming, smart, nice. And in the same situation as her. That's what made him special.

* * *

><p>Later on that day, Ron had taken to making fun of Hermione in front of Harry, Mercy, and some boys he'd befriended.<p>

" She's a nightmare, honestly. It's no wonder she hasn't got any friends. " Ron spat.

Mercy just had to laugh loudly at this. To Ron's horror, Hermione shoved past the group, looking ready to cry.

" I think she heard you. " Harry stated.

Before they knew it, dinner was being served. Harry looked around, stopping at the Slytherin table. Mercy winked at him when Draco wasn't looking. Harry just smiled awkwardly. But something was bothering him. He hadn't seen Hermione since she stormed off after Ron made fun of her.

" Have you seen Hermione? " Harry asked Neville.

" Pavarti said she was in the girls' bathroom all afternoon, crying. " he replied.

Harry noticed Mercy suddenly get up and leave the Great Hall. He was tempted to follow her, but he decided against it. He didn't want to seem like a stalker or something. He still couldn't help worrying about Hermione, though.

Mercy sauntered down the hallway, and into the girls' bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, surveying herself. That's when she heard someone crying. But she decided to ignore it. It wasn't her problem.

She ran her fingers through her thick, black curls. And she applied more mascara and lipstick. Mercy always made an effort to look her best. She's been like that since she was very little. Carefully, she separated the eyelashes that her mascara had clumped together. And she rubbed off the lipstick that went out of line. Still, she heard the cries. It was beginning to annoy her. She contemplated telling whoever it was to shut up. But she supposed she'd wait a while longer and see if they stopped, or came out of the stall.

Harry poked around at his food, not really eating it. He had too much on his mind. Ron, however, was eating anything and everything in sight. But suddenly, dinner was interrupted.

Professor Quirrel came burtsing through the doors of the Great Hall shouting " Troll! Troll in the dungeon! "

There was silence.

" Just thought you ought to know. " he muttered, as he fell to the floor.

It seemed he was unconscious.

Every student in the room panicked. Some ran around, some hid under the tables. They were all screaming and carrying on.

" SILENCE! " screamed Dumbledore at the top of his lungs.

That got everyone quiet.

" Students, go back to your dormitories. And would all of the teachers please come with me. " Dumbledore announced.

The students quickly shuffled out of the room. Ron grabbed a few chicken legs, and started going for the door. But Harry grabbed his arm.

" Hermione and Mercy don't know about the troll! We have to find them! " he insisted.

Ron nodded in agreement, even though he looked scared shitless.

" The last I heard Hermione was in the bathroom. Maybe that's where Mercy is too. Come on, Ron. " Harry ordered, dragging him along.

At that same moment, Hermione slowly came out of the bathroom stall, rubbing her eyes. Mercy was still in front of the mirror. She didn't even acknowledge Hermione's presence. Hermione took a deep breath and looked in the mirror next to Mercy.

But then, something startled both girls. It was a few loud thuds. Then a huge figure stood before them. A big, ugly, angry looking mountain troll. Mercy and Hermione screamed in unison. They both ran into a bathroom stall and locked the door. But the troll easily knocked it to pieces with the club it was carrying, just barely missing their heads as they ducked.

They darted to the sinks, and crouched down underneath them, still screaming. The troll began wrecking the sinks as well, causing water to spew out all over the floor.

" What should we do? " asked Hermione, desperately.

" I don't know! You're the know it all! You do something! " yelled Mercy, in response.

" You're a Lestrange! You do something! " Hermione shouted back.

" My parents are beauty obsessed Death Eaters! Not troll fighters! " Mercy insisted.

That was when Harry and Ron came running in.

" Help! Do something! " yelled Hermione, as the troll continued to swing its club, trying to hit her and Mercy.

Harry picked up some pieces of debris from the sinks and the stall. Ron saw what he was doing, and picked some up as well.

" Hey! Over here, ugly! " shouted Ron, as he and Harry pelted the things they'd picked up off the floor at the troll.

It then it turned to face the boys. It swung its club at them, and Harry grabbed onto it. But the troll took him up and the air. Harry sat on its shoulders, and stuck his wand up its nose. The troll didn't like that at all. He grabbed Harry by the ankle. He was hanging upside down and screaming.

" Do something, Ron! " yelled Harry.

" Like what? " he asked.

" Anything! " Harry screamed back.

But it was Mercy to make the first move. She ran over and started kicking the troll in the shin. Ron panicked. He had no idea what to do. He shut his eyes, and recited the only spell he could think of at that moment. He flicked his wrist and muttered " Wingardium leviosa. "

The troll's club was levitated above its head. It looked up, only to be hit by the club. It dropped Harry to the ground. Everyone stumbled out of the way when it hit them that the troll was going down. It did. Face first.

Hermione crawled out from under the broken sinks.

" Is it... dead? " she asked.

" I don't think so. Looks like it's just knocked out. " Harry replied, as he took his wand back.

It was covered in yellowish green slime.

" Eyuck. Troll boogies. " said Ron, at the sight of it.

Soon enough, the teachers came running it. McGonagall looked down in utter shock at the defeated troll, then at the four small first years.

" Explain yourselves! All of you! " she ordered.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione talked first.

" I went looking for the troll. I read about them and thought I could handle it. If Harry, Mercy, and Ron hadn't found me... I'd probably be dead. " Hermione lied.

" Well, I expected more rational behavior on your part, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor, for this serious lack of judgement. " McGonagall stated.

Hermione looked down at her feet in shame. She'd costed her house points.

" As for you three. Well... I just hope you know how lucky you are. Not many first year students can take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. " she informed them.

They all smiled widely.

" Even if you are... celebrities. " McGonagall added, looking pointedly at Harry and Mercy.

" Five points will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck! " she stated, obviously still dumbfounded as to how the children managed to defeat a troll.


	8. Quidditch

Today was the day of Harry's first quidditch match. He was dressed up in his uniform, trying to eat some breakfast. But he was nervous as hell.

" Eat, Harry. You can't play on an empty stomach. " Hermione ordered, as if she were talking to her child.

Harry nonchalantly picked up a piece of toast and took a small nibble out of it. Then, he felt someone tapping on his shoulder.

Harry turned around to see Mercy standing there, looking pretty as ever.

" I just wanted to wish you good luck, Harry. " she said, sweetly.

" Thanks, Mercy. I'll need it. " he replied, with a smile.

She bent over and placed a kiss on the bridge of his nose. Harry felt himself blush immediately and he was at a loss for words.

" Don't rub that off. It's for luck. " she said, as she walked away.

Harry turned back around, only to get funny looks from Ron and Hermione.

" I think that Mercy likes you. " Ron said.

" I think Harry shouldn't pay her any mind. She's a Slytherin, and she's vile. " Hermione stated.

This was only because she was not particularly fond of Mercy, otherwise she'd encourage Harry to go after a girl that liked him, no matter what house she belonged to.

" That's true. You probably can't trust her as far as you can throw her. " Ron agreed.

" Hey, I don't think there's anything wrong with her! She's been nothing but nice to me. I don't care what house she's in. " Harry spat, in her defense.

Ron crossed his arms, and Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to eating. They picked up on how quick he was to stick up for her. Harry Potter falling head over heels for a snobby, mean Lestrange girl. Who would have thought?

" Do you guys really think she likes me, though? " Harry asked, eagerly.

Ron and Hermione shook their heads in disappointment and said nothing.

Then, somone else walked by to wish Harry luck.

" Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of quidditch should be easy work. Even if it is against_ Slytherin_. " Snape said, cooly.

None of them said anything in response. Snape walked away, with a slight limp.

" That explains the blood. " Harry murmured.

" Blood? " Hermione questioned.

" I'm guessing Snape sent the troll in as a diversion to try and get past that three headed dog. But, he got himself bit. That's why he's limping. " Harry said, in a sharp whisper.

" But why would anyone go near that dog? " Hermione asked, in confusion.

" The vault that was broken into, Hagrid took something out of it. Said it was Hogwarts business. Very secret. " he replied.

" So you're saying... " Hermione began, just when all this was starting to click.

" That's what the dog is guarding. That's what Snape wants. " Harry said.

* * *

><p>The first quidditch match of the year was about to begin. Harry was nervously sitting on his broom, waiting for the game to start. The Gryffindor team was playing against Slytherin today. Harry knew that the Slytherin team had a reputation for playing rough and dirty. He was even more scared after Oliver Wood had told him that during his first quidditch game, he took a bludger to the head five minutes in, then woke up in the hospital wing a week later.<p>

Draco and Mercy were there of course. Draco was already cheering on Slytherin obnoxiously, and the game hadn't even started.

" Cuz, the game didn't even start yet. " Mercy yelled over him.

" You want Gryffindor to win, don't you? " Draco asked, skeptically.

Mercy raised an eyebrow.

" Why the hell would I want them to win? " she asked, incredulously.

He crossed his arms in response.

" What? " she questioned.

" Don't think I haven't seen you. Spending an awful lot of time around scar head. " Draco teased.

" Don't call him that. " Mercy stated.

Draco just smirked innocently like he'd done nothing wrong.

Madame Hooch walked out into the field, bringing the case of the different balls with her. She took the quaffle in her hand, and looked up at the quidditch players.

" Now I want a nice, clean game. From ALL of you. " she announced, before throwing the quaffle up in the air to start the game.

Harry began flying around, trying not to get hit or get in anyone's way. Almost right away. Gryffindor scored ten points when they sent a ball through the middle hoop. Harry looked down at the ground nervously. It was a long way down.

Gryffindor earned themselves another ten points, but their joy was quickly diminished. With a few cheap shots by the Slytherin team, the game was now tied. Two of the Gryffindor players were down. Harry was annoyed. How could they get away with that?

Suddenly, Harry whipped his head around. He'd seen gold out of the corner of his eye. The snitch! He tried to go after it, but his broom wouldn't allow it. It began twisting him around in all different directions, trying to knock him off like a mechanical bull.

" Oh no! " Hermione said, pointing.

" Somethin's wrong with Harry's broom! " observed Hagrid.

Draco started laughing, earning not so amused looks from Mercy. She suspected fowl play. Harry was an excellent flyer. Her heart dropped into her stomach when the young Potter boy was nearly bounced off his broomstick. He was dangling, and holding on for dear life. that was when Hermione spotted something with her binoculars.

" It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom! " she hissed.

" Jinxing the broom! " Ron exclaimed.

Hermione sprung into action. She ducked and ran underneath the stands, making her way over to the teachers. Professor Snape was still muttering to himself. The young witch had to think fast...

" Inflamare. " she whispered.

The black robes quickly caught fire, and Hermione scampered away. She'd be in terrible trouble if someone knew she did that.

" You're on fire, man! " someone shouted.

With the fire and the commotion, everyone was distracted. This allowed Harry to swing back up onto his broomstick and get back in the game. Mercy sighed with relief, much to Draco's annoyance. His cousin was becoming awful fond of this "saint" Potter boy.

The snitch zipped past the young seeker, who quickly chased after it. Slytherin's seeker followed suit. The two boys shoved into each other as they chased the little golden ball. But then it started plummeting downward, quite quickly. They both followed, and the other seeker gave up when they were dangerously close to the ground. But not Harry. He trailed after the snitch, and he was no more than a foot or two off the ground.

Much to the crowd's amusement, he brought himself to stand on the edge of his broomstick. He stuck his hand out, and the snitch was just inches away form his grasp. But unfortunately, he lost his balance and stumbled to the ground. There was gasps. But they were relieved when the young boy stood up.

" I think he's guna be sick. " stated Hagrid.

Harry gagged and clutched his stomach. The golden snitch came flying out of his mouth and popped right into his hands.

" Harry Potter has caught the snitch! " exclaimed the announcer.

" Gryffindor wins! " called Madame Hooch.


End file.
